Baseball Season Preview 2022

 

So, let’s do this!  I guess.  Whatever.  The whole lockout thing started this season with a gag and a cough, followed by everyone forgetting that it happened. 

 

The entirety of the sports media called the lockout, “100% the owners’ fault.”  That’s true in that the owners initiated it.  Would the Players Union have gone on strike during the season if they hadn’t?  Logically, you’d think they wouldn’t—that they’d be smarter than that.  The public wouldn’t have supported them in the slightest regardless of the media’s opinion.  Regardless of the egos of the player union reps, their lawyers, and their agents, I doubt the rank and file would have voted to strike.  Actually, I know it, because they voted against their union heads to accept the owners’ offer and to end the lockout.

 

What was the outcome of all this labor strife?  We got the DH (and 3 ½ hour games on average this season because of it).  I guess there was also a playoff format change to make it more difficult to follow.  (I don’t know if you want have a postseason format that compares to NASCAR’s in complexity.)  Yeah, there was millions of dollars at stake in the various parts of the agreement, but it was nothing more than squabbling over loose change.  Nothing major was decided about how the sport would be run, so this was all a waste of time.

 

Frankly, a hard salary cap would be the best thing for the sport.  It would allow (with a minimum salary floor to go with it) a much more competitive environment for all teams, which is essential in growing the sport.  But that doesn’t help the Dodgers and the Yankees (the sport’s most popular teams), who can spend lavishly every year to maintain their relevance, and it doesn’t help the superstar players get bigger salaries.  The average player wouldn’t notice much difference under either system. 

 

What I just asserted there would take a long time to unpack and justify and I’m not in the mood.  Discuss amongst yourselves.  I’m here to pick winners . . . because I’m a creature of habit and I’ve done this for the last few years.  I decided not to buy a season preview magazine, since they all came out while the lockout was still going and a whole bunch of free agents still hadn’t been signed.  This is going to be blindfolded dart-throwing then.

 

AL East

I think I pick the Yankees all the time to compete.  It’s amazing what money will do.  They might be better via the subtractions from their roster rather than any additions.  The Rays did basically nothing.  There may be some Canadian medical weirdness with the Blue Jays, which are projected to do well.  I’m going to pick the Red Sox, since they signed Trevor Story.  The Orioles are a Triple-A team.

 

AL Central

This feels like the MLB player development division.  I guess it’ll be the White Sox, partly from their talent, partly because of the lack of competition in their division.  The Twins made the biggest move by acquiring Carlos Correa, or should I say, the most expensive.  Too bad he doesn’t pitch.  I think the Tigers might be good in the near future, but not this year.  The Royals will be playing games.  That’s the most optimistic thing I can say about them.  I refuse to talk about Cleveland until they rename their team to something else, because their current name offends me.  They must bow to my Internet pressure, as they did to others’ last year.

 

AL West

And another uncompetitive division.  How did the Astros not just cheat their way into winning, but also sabotage every team in their division?  (There may be an update on the Yankees’ cheating at some point this season.  Remember, they got caught, too.  Watch this video.)  The Astros have got a good team and I’m curious how Justin Verlander will do in his comeback.  The Angels still can’t pitch.  (Ohtani is okay, but I worry about his health playing both ways.)  The A’s are rebuilding.  Mariner fans are going to be disappointed again, because they didn’t do enough in the offseason.  The Rangers did a half-billion in free agent acquisitions and all they can hope for is for is MLB expansion moving them into the AL Central.

 

NL East

Hopefully, this division will be a season-long fight between the Mets and the Braves.  With the Mets picking up Max Scherzer and the Braves getting Matt Olson, they’re loaded for battle.  I think the Braves take it with Ronald Acuna Jr. having a healthy year.  The Phillies had some major additions, but will only be putting on some great batting practices.  The Marlins and Nationals have some talent, but are works in progress.

 

NL Central

How many more divisions are there?  Quick check.  Okay, I’m almost done.  I hate picking this division.  Whichever team can get over 81 wins will take it.  Here’s a hint: it won’t be the Cubs, Reds, or Pirates (at least until NMSU star, Nick Gonzales, arrives in Pittsburgh).  It should be the Brewers, but that Cardinal name and those St. Louis fans are worth more wins than they should get. 

 

NL West

Groooooooan!  Everyone is picking the Dodgers.  They should get a couple of good years out of Freddie Freeman.  They traded off a couple of their best prospects last season and still have a top ten farm system.  The Giants over-performed last year (unless they do it again this year).  The Rockies picked up some sex appeal by acquiring Kris Bryant, which is a really poor way to assemble a roster.  The Padres’ season may have collapsed with Fernando Tatis Jr.’s broken wrist.  GM AJ Preller uncharacteristically made little in the way of moves.  The minor league cupboard may be bare, except for a couple of untradeable prospects.  Oh yeah, the Diamondbacks are still a team aren’t they?  I almost forgot. 

 

Postseason

Well, let’s pick a winner (out of this bag of mostly losers).  Why do I do this?  I took the weekend off from going to Aggie Baseball.  I felt the need to punish myself.  With the expanded playoffs, we will have additional failed teams in the mix, so I’ll just cut to the chase.  (Also, I don’t quite understand the new format.)

 

The AL Championship will be the Blue Jays over the Astros.  The NL Championship will be the Dodgers over the Mets.  Manager Dave Roberts’ guarantee of a Dodger World Series win will come back and bite him as the Blue Jays take it in five.

 

I may issue some more baseball updates during the season, probably at least at the trade deadline.  I’ll keep my picks, though, because last year’s re-picks, weren’t as good as my original predictions.